One of Britain’s favorite radio shows, Fun Kids, is coming to the Fringe. The Mumble managed a wee a blether with the brilliant Bex Lindsay…

Hello Bex, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Bex: Oh hi there! I’m originally from a tiny northern village called Wall (it’s real, I promise) but now I’m down in London.

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Bex: I would ‘make’ TV gameshows for my family in our living room, and force them to take part or watch. In retrospect, I suspect their laughter was more out of nervousness than genuine joy.

How did you get into Comedy?
Bex: I’ve always had a geeky love of comedy- everything from the 50s to now- but the first time I went to the Edinburgh Festival was when it really clicked with me how great live comedy could be. Then some Uni friends put a sketch group together- The Beta Males- and I would help them out backstage because I loved the atmosphere of comedy gigs.

What is it about performing live you love the most?
Bex: We’ve hosted at loads of family festivals with Fun Kids and my favourite thing is the audience- the kids themselves. They’re funny, always ready to join in, and brutally honest. If they don’t like something, you absolutely know about it. One kid in a preview refused to give me a hi-five because he didn’t like a joke I’d just told.

What do you like to do when you’re not around comedy?
Bex: I want to say something noble and impressive, like charity skydives or epic marathons, but it’s mostly going to music gigs, watching The Crown, and eating chocolate.

You’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Bex: Edward VII, because from what I’ve read about him he was a bit of a rogue but would be very fun at a dinner party. Barbara Castle, because she was a fearless MP who I reckon would have razor-sharp party chat. And Kermit the Frog- is he allowed? I think he’d be one of those friends you could plonk with anyone and they’d get on immediately. I’d cook what I do for anyone who comes around- three courses of pie. Mini pork pie to start, fish pie for main, banoffee pie for dessert. It’s what my friends affectionately call ‘The Bex Special’.

How, when & where was ‘Fun Kids’ created?
Bex: Fun Kids was created in 2005, and originally only available on DAB in London. But the station has grown loads since then; now we’re available nationally! Which is nice, because it means my family can tune in (and often message me to let me know what they think of my show..!)

What is your role?
Bex: I’m the Drivetime presenter (although for our audience, it’s more ‘homeworktime’) between 4-7pm in the week. I also host our Book Club Podcast, and get to chat to loads of celebrity guests.

You are bringing Fun Kids to the Fringe as a show. How has the transition to the stage been going?
Bex: It’s been great! And scary! At the same time! This is a totally new venture for us; we’ve never done a full hour show before. We decided to really use the fact we’re a children’s radio station, and have some fun with it. The idea is we need the kids to help us stay on air and keep our jobs, so we get the audience to join in making the news, playing games, and even doing some interviews for us.

Can you describe your working relationship with Dan Simpson in a single word?
Bex: Honest.

You are something of an Edinburgh veteran – what advice could you give to somebody performing at the Fringe for the first time?
Bex: Well, although I’ve teached and helped out at loads of shows over the last few years, this is my first time performing too! From my experience, the best way of getting through is pacing yourself- the Fringe is a marathon. It’s hard to have a night in when you’re living in the middle of the world’s best arts festival, but sometimes you need to take some time out.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the street, what would you say?
Bex: To kids: Want a show where you get to mess around on stage, win prizes, and potentially take the mickey out of your parents? Then come to our radio roadshow! To parents: Want a show to keep your kids entertained for an hour while you sit in a dark room and try to recover from the night before? Then come to our radio roadshow!

What will Bex Lindsay & Fun Kids be doing after the Fringe?
Bex: I will be immediately escaping to see my Dad in Wall, a village which has the same population as just one block of flats on Nicolson Street. Fun Kids will carry on being the best (and only!) radio station for kids in the UK, and perhaps plan a London run of the Edinburgh show…

Fun Kids Epic Roadshow Adventure

Underbelly Bristo Square – Dairy Room

August 1st– 27th (not 13th) (13.15)

Tweets by @funkids

www.funkidslive.com

The British love history; Rose Robinson & Will Close love history: the British clearly love Rose Robinson & Will Close doing history. The Mumble caught up with them during a quick costume change…

Hello Rose, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Rose: I’m from a village called Stapleford in the wilds of Cambridgeshire, where I spent most of my childhood presenting imaginary cooking programmes. Nowadays, I live on fried chicken alley in Walthamstow.

Hello Will, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Will: Hello, I’m from a little village in the Cotswolds called Broadway which has five antiques dealers, four pubs and not much else. Lots of cows. And I’m writing this in Camberwell, South London. Less cows. More pubs.

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Will: I think I probably first twigged when I used to do school plays right back in Primary School and drama clubs. Silly voices and faces was always my go-to method. On reflection, not much has changed.

How did you get into Comedy?
Rose: I played a nasty piece of work called Brenda in a school play called The Big Book for Girls. Doing that show made me realise that making people snigger was my no.1 fave thing to do.

You’re washed up on a desert island with an all-in-one solar powered DVD/TV
combo & three films, what would they be?
Rose: Mrs Doubtfire, Casino Royale and No Country for Old Men. Obvs.

What is it about performing live you love the most?
Will: The ‘dialogue’ between the stage and the audience; it’s totally unique every time. The room might be bouncing or quiet or somewhere in between and even though you obviously prefer it when they’re very vocally having a good time, there is something exciting about the fact you’re rolling that dice every time you perform.

You’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Will: John Peel, Julius Caesar and Kurt Cobain. Crispy potato skins to start with a tomato sauce dip, Caesar salad for main (obviously) with anchovies and a pistachio kulfi for dessert. I’m salivating at the mere suggestion.

How, when & where was ‘Great British Mysteries’ created?
Rose: Will and I were on tour for a couple of years with a show called Golem, during which we spent a lot of time bouncing silly ideas around. One day, in a Chinese doughnut cafe, the characters of Olive and Teddy were born.

Great British Mysteries had a sold-out Edinburgh debut last year, what is it about your show, do you think, that connected with the public so well?
Will: The tone of GBM tries to marry wordy, quite intricate, humour with the utterly stupid and occasionally base. People seemed to invest in that combination which was very fortunate for us. And I think mysteries like Nessie, aliens, Jack the Ripper et al, do capture the imagination of lots of people. I’ve always been obsessed with that sort of stuff so it’s a relief to realise others share my bizarre reading habits.

What have you got for us this year?
Rose: This year, mystery-addicts Olive and Teddy find themselves in Tudor London, on the hunt for a witch. They encounter stinking bishops, haunted houses and albino greyhounds. The Woman in Black meets Keystage Two Tudor history.

Can you describe your working relationship with Rose in a single word?
Will: Fired

Can you describe your working relationship with Will in a single word?
Rose: Sweaty

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the street, what would you say?
Will: A very silly comedy show set in Tudor times about witch hunts and weird happenings. Full frontal nudity. (There’s not any nudity but you’ve got to lure them in somehow).

Can you describe in a single sentence the experience of performing at the Fringe?
Will: A rollercoaster of inevitable highs, lows and battered sausages.

What will Great British Mysteries be doing after the Fringe?
Rose: Weening ourselves off Irn Bru, and plotting Olive and Teddy’s next exploits. New York in the roaring 20s? Milton Keynes in the naughty 90s? Who can say…

Great British Mysteries: 1599?

Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Below
August 1st– 27th (not 13th) (16.45)

Tweets by @GBMysteries

A member of the hilarious Laughing Stock is doing something on their own this Fringe; it was imperative that the Mumble found out what was going on…

Hello Lewis, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Lewis: I was born in Nottingham and I’ve been living in London since about 2013 – I’ve lived in an old peoples’ home, a halfway house and a warehouse with no windows…the struggle is real. I now live in Crystal Palace with 6 house plants and a Muji Diffuser *other diffusers are available.

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Lewis: My Dad has a glass eye and when I was a kid I would go into my parents’ room, grab his spare eye (he didn’t wear this one), lick it and stick it to my forehead. I’d then try and scare my mum with it – she just ended up laughing at me every time. I kinda wish I still had it (the eye). I peaked early.

What is it about performing live you love the most?
Lewis: I think I enjoy people’s reactions the most; I like pushing the medium and what people think is possible on stage. It’s like creating a physical language throughout the show, teaching that language to the audience, and by the end they’re fluent in it. That’s how a 30+ multi-man brawl is possible with just one human and a couple lights… I hope.

You’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Lewis: Alright here we go:
– Tupac Shakur
– Ma Anand Sheela
– Prince (Prince was apparently either Vegan or Vegetarian according to the internet… let’s pretend he’s not)

Starter
Arrosticini (simple, easy, absolutely pengers)
Served with freshly baked sourdough bread with truffle oil and kalamata olives

Mains
Bucatini all’Atrescatori – Bucatini is one of the best pasta sauces I’ve ever tasted, real spicy flavours combined with salty pork jowl and pecorino, combine that with the Trescatori pasta from Abruzzo (like spaghetti but a tube) and you’re onto a serious winner

Dessert
Home-made Lemon Sorbet & Limoncello

Can you tell us about Laughing Stock?
Lewis: Laughing Stock was born out of leaving drama school and expecting to at least get some work here and there… that didn’t happen, so myself and three other down and out individuals got together to make something (anything) and comedy seemed to come pretty naturally to us. We just had a lot of fun messing around, so we went down that road. We had an amazing and stressful three years at Edinburgh and it took us to some brilliant places and we met some fantastic people. I would say it was the catalyst for me to explore what my own work would be like.

You’re bringing a solo show, Wolf, to the Fringe; why did you go down this road & how are you finding being funny on your own?
Lewis: It was last year at the Fringe with Laughing Stock and I’d always spoken about doing a one man show, so Rhys Bevan (my Laughing Stock Brother from another Mother) applied for himself and I to share an hour slot at Vault Festival – we got the slot and I had to come up with 30 minutes of material on my own, at the time it was the scariest thing I have ever done, and that’s how WOLF was born.

Can you tell us more about Wolf?
Lewis: It’s about an ex cop called WOLF, who returns to Shadow City to investigate his ex partners death. There’s bar fights, car chases, helicopters, guns, a monologue about pasta – its got it all! There’s also a helluva lot of influence from Film, TV, and Comics – pretty much whatever I’m into I’ll put in the show. There’s 30+ characters, no props or costume, and I make 90% of the sound effects myself – it’s a slog.

What have been the processes behind the creation of Wolf, from inception to hatching?
Lewis: Before I did anything I had a really hard think about how I wanted the show to feel, I worked around a lot of themes and had a really clear image of what all the locations in the show looked like in real time – then I listened to A LOT of music, I feel like that was the most useful anchor to me in the creation of the show. A really clear ‘mood’ helped a lot. I really wanted to show audiences something that they never thought would be possible on stage. It’s an extremely ambitious show and it’s just me and a chair when you really look at the bare bones of it. I’m trying to draw a clear picture of what I want the audience to see and then they get to colour it in themselves.

How did your previews at VAULT Festival and The North Wall go, & have you tweaked the show since?
Lewis: Surprisingly well – it’s always easier to perform to friends and family because they’ll be supportive no matter what – but I never expected such a positive reaction from it. I’m so proud of the show and how much people seem to genuinely enjoy watching it. If I get half that kind of feedback or admiration from people of Edinburgh I’ll be over the moon.

How is director John Hoggarth handling your brain-baby?
Lewis: John is an amazing human – I honestly don’t think I would be in this position without his help and support. We’ve worked together now for about 5 years and I trust him completely. He is genuinely interested in nurturing a project and watching it blossom, he’s pretty funny too and that always helps.

What advice could you give to somebody performing at the Fringe for the first time?
Lewis: Be as prepared as you can be but never, ever, take it too seriously – it’s really hard to get bogged down and stressed about it all but concentrate on the things you’re in control of – everything else isn’t worth the brain power. Whatever happens, just do the best you can do and try to enjoy yourself along the way – if good reviews and audiences come from that, you’ve done a great job.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the street, what would you say?
Lewis: “Hiya, just wondering if you wanna see me turn into a cyborg ninja assassin on a motorbike and chase a guy off a bridge into a river? Yes!? Come with me.”

Wolf

Underbelly Cowgate
Aug 2-12/14-19/21-26 (20.00)

Tweets by @dohertylewis

Kevin Matviw is a Canadian comedian par excellence, & this year he doubling up with two fine, fine shows. The Mumble managed a wee blether with this very brave, & very funny, man 

Hello Kevin, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Kevin: I’m from Victoria B.C., Canada’s weed capital. I now live in Toronto, Canada’s wannabe capital.

When did you first realize you could make people laugh?
Kevin: I was in Grade One. We were doing a taste test while wearing blindfolds. Our teacher told us to put some apple into our mouths and I said “but what if we forget where our mouths are?”, which actually sounds like something I’d say now.

How did you get into Comedy?
Kevin: I wanted to be a very serious dramatic actor, but thrived in the improv portion of my acting classes. Next year, I’m combining drama and comedy in a my new play “Glenngarry, Glenn Ross from Friends”.

Can you tell us about your teaching work at The Second City Training Centre?
Kevin: I teach the improv “Yes And” philosophy as well as more advanced tactics, but it’s mostly teaching adults how to play make-believe.

You’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Kevin: I would have dinner with three Abraham Lincolns. What would I cook? Ha! Who’s got time to cook when you’ve got THREE Abraham Lincolns??

Why are you bringing two shows to the Edinburgh Fringe this year, do you think you can handle the doubling?
Kevin: Why not? I don’t want to live forever! Death Ray Cabaret is only running until the 14th, so it’s really only the first two weeks that will be insane. After that, everything is a cool breeze until my last show on August 26th. Right?

As for Death Ray, you are being directed by Shari Hollett, who is she?
Kevin: Shari is a well-known, highly respected director in Toronto’s theatre/comedy scene and her previous work with The Second City (home to alums such as Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey and Gilda Radner to name a few) is what drew us to her. She’s as delightful as three Abraham Lincolns!

Can you describe your working relationship with Jordan Armstrong in a single word?
Kevin: I can’t! Jordan Armstrong is a genius. She’s been nominated for a Dora (the Canadian equivalent to a Tony Award), won a Canadian Comedy Award and can play the flute, sax, piano, clarinet and is okay on the guitar.

What are the differences between North American comedy audiences & the British version?
Kevin: Canadians spend most of their time looking out the window at snow or listening to the howl of wild dogs chasing a deer under a stark, moonlit night. As a result, the mind wanders and Canadian humour can be pretty dark and absurd. My limited experience in the UK suggests that British audiences aren’t afraid of that stuff, but they appreciate the cleverness of a good one liner too. I mean, so do we, but if it’s not about death then we’re not listening.

For your solo show, how have you chosen you sketches & jokes?
Kevin: As of today (July 20th), I have. Things will likely change as the deadline approaches and I start to freak out more.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell each show to somebody in the street, what would you say?
Kevin: Both shows are written and performed by alums of the legendary Second City, so you can’t go wrong! Death Ray Cabaret has fast paced, hilarious songs, beautiful harmonies and a song about Sting. Kevin Matviw: Self Defence for Cowards is a solo sketch show with everything from an Ernest Hemingway impression to sketches where the audience is the hero. On top of that, we’ve got-wait. Was that 20 seconds? Where are you going? I have so much more to sa-

What will Kevin Matviw be doing after the Fringe?
Kevin: I will likely watch from heaven as my casket is slowly lowered into the ground and chuckle to myself as the priest mispronounces my last name.

Self Defence For Cowards

Laughing Horse @ The Place Hotel
Aug 2-26th  (18.45)

Death Ray Cabaret

Laughing Horse @ The Place Hotel
Aug 2-14th  (22.30)

Tweets by @Matviw

www.kevinmatviw.com

Barry, Barry, Barry, Barry, Barry, Barry Ferns! The Mumble track’d him down to his Canal-Boat for a wee blether & an M&S sandwich… 

Hello Barry, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Barry: I’m from Dorset. I’m at Anarco-Syndaclist-Communes

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Barry: When I was 7 years old and I kept writing “3 p sweet” instead of Three Piece Suite. Much to the consternation of my teacher and the amusement of my classmates.

How did you get into Comedy?
Barry: I did my first gig when I was 15 years old in a pub called the Bricklayers arms in Poole. I’d been studying it for years, watching my favourite comedians, writing out their routines, like a real comedy egg head and trying to write my own jokes (mostly puns)

Can you tell us about Angel Comedy?
Barry: I can – it’s a club run by comedians for comedians. It’s free entry and it started (and was so successful) because the professional comedy industry weren’t giving comics the chance to perform 5 or 10 minute set in front of a busy crowd (a totally different experience to horrible open-mics). I put it’s success down to the fact that there are LOADS of brilliant comedians out there – but very few gigs willing to give them a chance to perform. Angel Comedy is one of the few clubs in the country that have brand new acts as well as the biggest acts in the UK on their roster.

What do you like to do when you’re not around comedy?
Barry: I pootle up and down the canals of London in My canal boat. I live on a Calal boat. Like a water gypsy. It’s very cheap. And very cold in winter.

You’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Barry: I would choose Robin Williams because he seemed to be (both by friends reporting it and by reputation) a very kind and gentle man. I would invite Albert Einstein and hope that he speaks English, and I would invite Elizabeth Barrett Browning – a brilliant poet from the 19th Century, just to see if she’s as interesting as she seems. I wouldn’t cook as I wouldn’t want to offend them. Maybe an omelette, I can make omelettes. And some huel. And a M&S desert. Something nice and flashy.

You are bringing BARRY LOVES YOU to the Edinburgh Fringe, can you tell us about it?
Barry: Barry Loves You is a show I’ve been working on for almost 3 years. The Bill Murray has taken up a lot of my time. But it touches the silliest parts of my life and also the deepest parts of my life. I genuinely feel that there won’t be a more connected show on the Fringe this year.

What is it about The Bill Murray that resonates the most with you?
Barry: Part of the reason I struggled and got into debt with comedy is that I didn’t have a place to work, or struggled finding a community to work with. And I ended up having to put on expensive shows just to try my material out. The Bill Murray solves those issues – people can work there for free during the week. It’s a place where comedians can meet and hang out and it’s also a thriving and massive community that is used by brand new comedians and national treasures like Frank Skinner and Simon Amstell.

You were once bankrupted by the Edinburgh Fringe; so why do you keep coming back? What is it about performing at the Scottish capital you love the most?
Barry: The Edinburgh fringe is phenomenal, just to see the craziness, of what all all these people are doing with their lives. It’s always so inspiring. It felt like running away to the circus for a week. A human circus. Where the animals treat themselves badly. It is truly brilliant. When you get off the train at Edinburgh Waverly the fun and crazyness is all around you. You see a contortionist dressed as Braveheart, then you get accosted by a load of students singing cocacobana, then you see an opera singer walking a tightrope. And every corner you turn there’s the mythic, timelessly Scottish sound of the bagpipes. Bagpipe players are everywhere. Every doorway you pass is a performance space. Sit down in a café and the person next you could be a trapeze artist, a ventriloquist, a Russian Poet, or a thief. Just check your bags. And all this takes place with the backdrop of perpetual rain to the sporadic beat of hearts being clogged by trans-fats. How can you not love it – it’s like no-where on earth!

Can you tell us about your show on Arthurs Seat?
Barry: The show I’ve been doing on Arthurs Seat every year since 2007 and is the spot of my best gig. Being at the top of a Volcano plug, and not being sure that an audience will show up, or be able to hear the show because of a wind, or whether it will get rained off. It’s almost the exact worst circumstances for a gig, but the first time it happened in 2007 it worked so so well and was such a lovely feeling. Everyone was happy and on cloud nine. The audience, the performers, no-one could quite believe that it happened and that it was such a good gig because of it. I think everyone left almost pinching themselves that it was possible. The experience of doing the gig itself was the closest I’ve come to skydiving. It’s just a case of jumping into it and hoping that the wind takes you. And it did.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show(s) to somebody in the street, what would you say?
Barry: If you want to know what love is – come to this show. If you want to know what love isn’t come to this show. If you just want an enjoyable hour of your life – come to this show.

What will Barry Ferns be doing after the Fringe?
Barry: Barry Ferns will be going to New York to gig – and also, quite possibly, to have a breakdown there. New York is so mental, if you have a breakdown people actually think you’re native.

Barry Loves You

Just the Tonic @ The Tron

Aug 3-12, 14-26 (21.00)

Tweets by @barryferns

www.barryferns.com

Soho Theatre Young Company’s most elegant performer is bringing his second super-silly absurdist show to the Fringe. The Mumble caught up with him for a wee blether…

Hello Jacob, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Jacob: I’m from one of the many dullard suburban towns that orbit our beutiful cesspit of a capital. Like a lot of those places, they cover up their tedium with a veneer of respectability, so there are 3 branches of Greggs in a single mile of high street, but one of them has an outdoor seating area.

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Jacob: I’ve been making people laugh as a defence mechanism for ages. Although, just like with stand up comedy I wasn’t great at it at first. I remember that for a long time kids at school genuinely thought I really believed that I could shit brie, because they hadn’t realised that I’d discovered sarcasm at age 6.

Upon which life-experiences do you draw your own comedy?
Jacob: For me it’s mostly childhood. I had an odd childhood in that, despite being culturally middle class – my parents are undoubtedly middle class – due to various reasons that i won’t go into here I spent most of my childhood seriously poor and constantly on the edge of potential ruin/losing the house. Like a lot of kids I escaped into fantasy and books and well, here we are.

What is it about performing live you love the most?
Jacob: Comedy is the crack cocaine of arts. It has an instant hit and the highs are extremeley high. On the other hand, the lows are extremely low. I love that I can write something on my lunch break and work and perform it that evening. It keeps you on your toes constantly. People change, funny changes, everything changes and you have to keep producing new things.

Can you tell us about Soho Theatre Young Company?
Jacob: It’s an incubator for exciting young comic and theatrical artists in London. The best thing about it is, unlike a lot of comedy workshops which encourage a certain style of joketelling, they want you to develop yourself in your own way. Some brilliant new talents have come out of SYC including Olga Koch, Huge Davies and Jack Rooke.

What does Jacob Hatton like to do when he’s not being funny?
Jacob: I’m a bit of a raver so I enjoy “dancing” (throwing myself about a field/room/hovel) to electronic pips and squeaks. I also love reading and writing stories about aliens, wizards and heroism.

You’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Jacob: Absolutely no way am I cooking for any corpses. If Napoleon’s mouldering skeleton, or Rameses II is coming round for dinner I’m making soup and soup only just so I can see it pour through the holes in their skeleton and get the mummy bandages all wet.

Can you describe in a single sentence the experience of performing at the Fringe?
Jacob: Emotional turmoil.

How have you changed as a comedian since your first Fringe in 2016?
Jacob: I’m 1000 times more confident but also a lot more cynical about the whole thing. I went into Edinburgh 2016 wide-eyed and optimistic. Now I’m more like a jaded corrupt cop on the narcotics beat, taking the bribes and hoping he doesn’t get shot before retirement.

You’re bringing ‘Ozymandias’ to this year’s Fringe. Can you tell us about it?
Jacob: “Look upon my works, ye mighty and despair!” Ozymandias is based on our endless desire to be GREAT, to want people to know us and know about us. It explores what that means, why we want it and why ultimately, it’s a profoundly useless thing to really want from life.

How does the music incorporate itself into the show & where does it come from?
Jacob: I’ve got a friend who is a fantastic composer who’s composed some music for the show – but you need to come and see it to see that.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the street, what would you say?
Jacob: “Epic Comedy for Kings! Also it’s raining and the morning so why not have a cup of tea and let me cheer you up for a fiver or less eh?”

What will you be doing after the Fringe?
Jacob: Ditching the financial, emotional and administrative nightmare of comedy for the small matter of organising my own wedding haha

Ozymandias

Just the Tonic @ The Caves

Aug 2-12, 14-26 (11.20)

Tweets by @jacobandthehats

Andy Onions, what a guy, what a comic! He’s coming to Edinburgh, thank the gods, & the Mumble were lucky to catch him for a wee blether…

Hello Andy, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Andy: I was born in Oniontown, a district of New York. Or perhaps it was Aylesbury, UK. I am half British, half Iranian and half Onion

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Andy: I was watching some of my friends in a school football match. A few minutes in, I wasn’t paying attention and a waywood shot missed the old Onion bag and hit me square in the <ahem> Onion sack. Ridiculously hard. From point blank range. It was soo painful. Apparently I went down like I had been shot. I’m there, writhing in agony and they had to stop the game for a full minute as both teams AND THE REF were doubled up in laughter. One of my friends told me that when he was getting therapy over a bad breakup, he was told to think of a happy place that brought him nothing but joy and that was the first thing that came to his mind over a decade later.

Which comedians inspire you, both old skool and on the scene today?
Andy: Bec Hill – Amazing comic. You just feel sooooo good after watching her shows. Check her on youtube or see her live. Ronnie Barker – What a talent. Eddie Izzard – My first stand up love. Dave Gorman – He pioneered the genre I work in. A legend. I’d like to think he’d enjoy PowerPointless for the sheer sillyness of it. I have been compared to Dave Gorman crossed with Banzai which was a lovely complement. Rob Broderick – Go see him at the Udderbelly Sooo funny! Spencer Jones – So silly! 🙂 For quick wittedness; Frank Skinner Paul Merton. And finally, James Acaster & Stuart Lee for breaking the rules.

How did you get into stand up?
Andy: I did a best man’s speech at a wedding. A speech I did for the stag do went brilliantly, so I was a little overcocky. At the wedding the “audience” were all 30ft back from me in a massive room in the daylight. I was nervous so I had had too many beers. It went terribly. I compared the Groom’s Dad to Santa Claus as he had a massive white beard for years but for the big day he had shaved it off. I kept the joke in. Got nothing. I ended up improvising about Tony Blair and something about the Iraq war, messed up my final punchline, dropped the mic (literally) at the end and it made the comedy whistling noise and I walked off to no applause. Strangely, I was hooked.

You’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Andy: If I was to invite three famous figures from history, they wouldn’t come as they are dead. I’ll have a three course meal to myself Starter: Onion Soup / Main course: Onion Tart with an Onion Bhaji / Pudd: Caramelized Onion Ice Cream

Can you tell us about Freedom Fridge?
Andy: It’s a super friendly comedy night in a relaxed pub in Kentish Town, London. We allow everyone and all acts, and mix it up with some newbies and some with more experience. We have acts doing their first ever gig on the same night as the Perrier (or whatever it is) Edinburgh Newcomer or people who have been on Letterman. Everyone is welcome and best of all it’s 100% free.

What are the differences between a good comedy MC & a bad one?
Andy: Ha, this is something you learn as you progress. An MC is like the rudder of a boat, sometimes they need to steer, sometimes they need to do very little once you are going. It’s all about the boat not the rudder. When I started, I used to do loads of material. I now rarely do any actual material. I have learnt over the years that it is about building and maintaining a platform for the other comics to shine whilst making the audience feeling ready to laugh. I get them used to making noise as people are often coming from work or something where we have to keep ourselves in check. An MC needs to bring out the potential in every audience member to make them ready to laugh. The comics need to actually make them laugh, but their job is easier if the MC has got everyone in the mood for some fun. An MC also needs to keep to time and make sure the night runs smoothly. If an act is good, perhaps roll the next one on. If someone is has a great set bring the level back down. Go on. Don’t even try and be funny (This is hard as it goes against every instinct. If you have to make a joke, make it a cheesy deliberately bad one). Reset the crowd for the next act. If someone doesn’t have the best set, re-energize the crowd without referencing the fact the last act didn’t do so well, build a positive vibe. And don’t stay on stage too long. Also, a great MC will check the room out before to make sure they have sightlines and can visualize the room, plus ensure that the audience and they acts are lit correctly. There’s not often a stage manager so it is often the MCs job to set the room up as they need. I also run sound at the freedom fridge, so I try and make the next song refer to something the last act said. Wifi and a laptop makes this easier and it’s a nice touch where people go “Ahhhh” which adds a touch 🙂

You’ll be bringing your show, PowerPointless, to the Edinburgh Fringe, can you tell us about it?
Andy: PowerPointless is the stupidest PowerPoint Presentation you’ve ever seen. It’s really silly and light-hearted (It’s 12+) and has lots of fun animation and sound and some singalong bits, some video games and some nonsense. I’ve put in over 250 hours into the slides alone!

What is it about performing at the Fringe you love the most?
Andy: The city is great, locals and tourists mixing, you can see 5 shows a day or chill in a pub then walk up Arthur’s seat. I know so many people here and there’s so much to see. It’s the world cup of comedy!

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the street, what would you say?
Andy: Hi there, do you like intelligent comedy? Well this is stupid comedy! If you want to see the best show of the Fringe, DO NOT SEE MY SHOW, see Rob Broderick at the Udderbelly. If you want to see a show that moves you emotionally, DO NOT SEE MY SHOW, nobody dies and I have a great relationship with my parents. If you want to see a stupid man in Hawaiian shirt with a big screen run around with computer games and singalongs and super happy fun times. Maybe this is for you 🙂

Powerpointless

Apex Hotel Grassmarket

Aug 2-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-26 (13:10)

Tweets by @andyonions

www.andyonions.com

Without Nick Revell the Fringe, & indeed the entire world, wouldn’t be as half as cool. The Mumble always finds it a pleasure to get together with the man for a wee blether…

Hi Nick, how has your 2018 been so far?
Nick: Hi Mumble. 2018… well, there’s been a lot of anxiety, obviously, what with the same old collective global fiasco – Syria, Brexit, Trump, bees dying out and plastics choking the oceans. But on the other hand, I bought a Magimix, which means my mayonnaise-making has become much more reliable. So, you know, on the grand scale, it all sort of evens out.

What are the processes behind the creation of one of your shows, from inception to hatching?
Nick: Good question… sorry for the pause – I’m trying to figure it out… Yeah; I look for an excuse to read loads of stuff about something that interests me, and hope a story or two start to emerge out of that. I like to let random connections happen. This year I was interested in the Silk Road – the ancient and modern trade routes between China and Western Europe, with all the strategic and cultural implications. Fascinating. Made loads of notes. And virtually nothing of that figures in the show. Of course. But it got me started.

Two years ago you brought us, ‘Gluten Free Jesus’ to the Fringe, & last year the delightfully titled ‘Nick Revell vs Nick: Lily, Evil Cat Queen of Earth Planet and the Laughing Fridge.’ How did they both all go?
Nick: I was pretty happy with both of them. Audiences came, seemed to like them, and I was changing them throughout the run. Which meant they stayed fresh for me. Nothing worse than just going through the motions.

What have you got for us this year?
Nick: It’s called BrokenDreamCatcher.

What has BrokenDreamCatcher got in common with your previous two Fringe shows?
Nick: It’s in the same style – I call it magical-realist satire. Sounds pretentious, I know, but it’s as accurate as I can get. A structured story which is I hope, weird, wonderful and entertaining, clearly untrue while hopefully reflecting some kind of critical light on the real world. In this one, Vladimir Putin’s buttocks leave him, come out in Berlin and claim political asylum, while a hipster shaman vandalises native-American dreamcatchers, allowing the collective id of an entire north London borough to escape and cause mass psychic panic.

After the Fringe your new radio series, also called BrokenDreamCatcher, will go out on BBC R4. Can you tell us about how you got the gig?
Nick: They came to see Gluten Free Jesus in 2016, liked it, and so I pitched for a series in the same style.

Now for the all important question, you’ve got three famous figures from history coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starter, mains & dessert?
Nick: Oooh… well; I think Queen Cleopatra would be very interesting. Profound insights on global politics, probably some good gossip, and of course, a reputation for being extremely hot, and a bit saucy. Francois Rabelais – 16th Century French comic writer, polymath and noted wine connoisseur. Jane Austen. She’d probably be quiet at first, but once she got on the wine, I reckon she’d be highly entertaining. And fearlessly sharp. I’d start with cocktails: margaritas – loosens everybody up in a good way, and it takes a bit of time to kick in. Martinis are tempting but they can mess you up too early. With these guests, you’d want the conversation to flow without descending into nonsense. Some salatini with the cocktails – tiny Italian salted pastries. Then – oysters. With a Sancerre. And soda bread, which I’d get my mate Brendan to make. Homemade pasta with a sage butter dressing and maybe a bottle of Spanish white – like a Godello; then rare steak tagliata with very thinly cut chips and a green salad. Barolo or a really good claret. Chunk of a French mountain cheese after that, or Stilton, depending on the time of year, followed by a chocolate mousse. Armagnac. Then hopefully tequila slammers, loud music and dancing.

OK back to Edinburgh, what are the staple ingredients to your style?
Nick: I try and make a surreal story which grabs people. And to chuck vivid images into their heads the whole time. I like to use a whole range of different tones of jokes from stupid to vicious, with the empahsis on playful but sharp.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell BrokenDreamCatcher as you flyer some randoms in the Edinburgh streets. What would you say?
Nick: Hello! Want to hear a bonkers story this afternoon? Lasts an hour, feels like twenty minutes. Sex, violence, a talking bear and classic 70s disco.

What advice would you give to somebody doing a comedy act at the Fringe for the first time?
Nick: Focus on the show itself. Not what might happen if it goes well. Get some sleep at least once or twice a week. Remember it will rain. See as many shows as you can. Especially by award-winning veteran comics you’ve never heard of.

What is next year’s show called?
Nick: Haha! It’s a little early to tell. But I’ll be there.

BrokenDreamCatcher

Stand 4

Aug 2-26 (15:35)

Tweets by @TheNickRevell

www.nickrevell.com

In 2010 the island of Herm, a mile long body of land and the smallest island of the Channel Islands, declared a state of emergency. Helicopters went up. Divers went down. And it was all Sasha’s fault…

Hello Sasha, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Sasha: Hey Mumble, I live in London now but I’m originally from Essex. Don’t judge me, I got out!

What do you like to do when you’re not being, well, funny?
Sasha: I play a lot of D&D and boardgames. I’ve just came back from doing stand-up at a boardgames festival, where we camped in the woods. It was intents… was a pun made by everyone there.

You’ve performed at the Fringe a couple of times before – with Signal Failure & Accidents Happen to Sasha Ellen – how did they go down?
Sasha: Signal Failure was my first show, it was a romantic comedy and that was pretty cool because after the Fringe we got to take it to the Soho Playhouse in New York, which was an experience. Accidents Happen to Sasha Ellen was my first solo stand up show, so it was a huge learning curve but getting to do it at the Soho Theatre afterwards was pretty cool.

You were classically trained in acting, so how did you get into stand up?
Sasha: I started gigging properly while I was doing Signal Failure in NY, just because their stand-up scene is so amazing.

What have you got for us this year?
Sasha: A story telling stand up show about a time I made the island go into a state of emergency.

When did you decide your experience had enough amusing material for a stand-up show?
Sasha: As is widely acknowledged, comedy is tragedy plus time. Last year enough time has finally passed for me to tell the stupidly long story at a party and realise that it was a weird, unique and hilarious thing to have happened.

Can you describe in a single sentence the experience of performing at the Fringe?
Sasha: To quote Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, it’s like “having your brains smashed in by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick”.

No Man’s Land

Just The Tonic @ The Caves

Aug 2-12 (14:10)

Tweets by @sashakellen

www.sashaellen.com